Background: Bimaxillary orthognathic surgery bears the risk of severe postoperative airway complications. There are no clear recommendations for immediate postoperative follow-up and monitoring.
Objective: to identify potential risk factors for prolonged mechanical ventilation and delayed extubation in patients undergoing bimaxillary orthognathic surgery.
Methods: The data of all consecutive patients undergoing bimaxillary surgery between May 2012 and October 2019 were analyzed in a single-center retrospective cohort study. The clinical data were evaluated regarding baseline characteristics and potential factors linked with delayed extubation.
Results: A total of 195 patients were included; 54.9% were female, and the median age was 23 years (IQR 5). The median body mass index was 23.1 (IQR 8). Nine patients (4.6%) were of American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification System III or higher. The median duration of mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit was 280 min (IQR, 526 min). Multivariable analysis revealed that premedication with benzodiazepines (odds ratio (OR) 2.60, 95% confidence interval (0.99; 6.81)), the male sex (OR 2.43, 95% confidence interval (1.10; 5.36)), and the duration of surgery (OR 1.54, 95% confidence interval (1.07; 2.23)) were associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation. By contrast, total intravenous anesthesia was associated with shorter ventilation time (OR 0.19, 95% confidence interval (0.09; 0.43)).
Conclusion: premedication with benzodiazepines, the male sex, and the duration of surgery might be considered to be independent risk factors for delayed extubation in patients undergoing bimaxillary surgery.
Keywords: airway complications; bimaxillary surgery; extubation; risk factors.